Hei Hei Norway!

This weekend I got to experience all the Scandanavian charm that is Norway!  After work on Friday, I met Katie and Hilary at Victoria Station where we were able to hop onto the Gatwick Express to catch our flight.  After a relaxing two hour plane ride, we landed in the chilly Oslo air; from the airport, it was only a 20 minute train ride until we were in the heart of the city!  When we first arrived, we were not entirely sure we were all staying at the same hotel, as Brittany and I had our own room with Hilary and Katie in another.  B, who had arrived earlier that morning, had told us the name of where our hotel was, but with a less than stellar understanding of Norweigan language we were still quite confused.  Sure enough, when we arrived at the Radisson Blu only steps away from the central station, the receptionist informed us that Brittany and I were indeed staying at another Radisson a few minutes away.  Since it was about 1 am by the time we had figured this out (and I didn't think my mother would approve of me walking around by myself), I said goodnight to the girls and hopped in a cab for about a 3 minute ride to the Hotel Scandanavia, where I would be staying for the next two nights.  By the time I made my way up to our room, Britt was sound asleep and I was exhausted, so I was quick to bed to make sure I would be ready for our full day of exploring on Saturday!
We woke up the next morning to the Sun rising over the hills surrounding Oslo.  After enjoying nice, hot showers, we bundled up in our warmest sweaters, ready for whatever cold the day would bring.  We enjoyed a delicious breakfast downstairs, deciding to skip the more traditional Scandanavian breakfast fare of meat and cheese (shocking, I know) and opting for yogurt, granola and fruit!  Fully charged, we ventured outside (one word: brr!) to explore the city.  Since Brittany had had Friday to visit some of the sites, she was my personal guide for the morning, bringing me through points such as Oslo University's campus, Johans Gate (the main shopping street), Radhus (City Hall) and finally to the harbor.  We were pretty much the only ones walking around, allowing us to see the city in an even more charming light; I guess those Norwegiens really appreciate their sleep!

Our ultimate destination was the Oslo Opera House, an amazing building right on the water that features sloped roofs and pristine marble walkways.  After climbing up the roof (which was slick with ice!) and taking all of our necessary pictures, we made our way back down to meet Katie and Hilary.  With the whole Wilton crew together, we all made our way to the dock to catch our ride for the day, a traditional Nordic cruising ship!  Though the trip was quite chilly with the wind, we enjoyed seeing the city skyline from the water.  Our first stop was Bygdey, where many of the city's museums are located.  We decided on the Vikingskiphset, or Viking Ship Museum.  Here we got to see ships from centuries ago; it's amazing that they are still in such good condition!  By the time we were done, we were all still quite chilled from our boat ride, so instead of another museum we popped into a cute local cafe for cappucinos and hot chocolate.  Warmed up, we made our way back to the dock to climb back onto the boat.  Luckily, this time we scored a table and fleece blankets, making the ride much more enjoyable.  

We next disembarked at City Hall, and from there navigated our way via underground and bus up the mountains.  With our zero knowledge of the language, we were very proud of ourselves when we got off the bus to the gorgeous view we had been hoping to see.  The area we were in, Silkestra, overlooks both the entire city and the gorgeous Oslo fjord.  Our final destination was Frognerseteren, a traditional lunch locale that is deemed a must see when visiting Norway.  In this quaint little cottage (all we wanted to do was go skiing), we enjoyed a Norwegien feast, trying everything from meatballs to an Elk Burger (Katie) to Norway's specialty dessert, Epelkake (similar to apple pie).  After finishing our meal, we went outside to snap some scenery shots before heading back down the mountain on the trusty tram.  Our next stop was the Vigelandsparken, or the Sculpture Park.  Lauren had told me before leaving that we absolutely had to do this, and I can see why she was so adamant about it; it was absolutely gorgeous!  The park features the work of Gustav Vigeland, and is home to hundreds of amazing statues and picturesque landscape.  By the time we had finished walking around, it was already late afternoon, so we decided to make our way back to Johan's Gate and do some shopping!  We were determined to find some Norwegian sweaters, and we thought this would be the perfect place to find one.  Little did we know, by the time we had arrived at the Dale store, it had conveniently closed 15 minutes before.  Apparently, stores in Norway close around 4 pm on Saturdays, and even worse, are closed on Sundays!  So begins our great sweater dilemma.  After trying a few other places only to find their doors locked, we decided we would ask the concierge about it that night and ventured on to find a spot for dinner.  We ended up at Aker Brygge, a new shopping center that sits right on the water.  After perusing the menus from a number of different restaurants, we decided on D.S. Louise, where we enjoyed a cozy dinner next to our Nordic friend.  By the time we were done with dinner, we were all exhausted, so we said goodbye for the night and headed back to our respective hotels for a much needed sleep.  

Our Dinner Companion

On Sunday morning, Britt and I woke up yet again to the Sun creeping over the mountains.  We enjoyed another delicious breakfast before hopping on the tram to Katie and Hilary's hotel.  After dropping our bags off for the day, we set off, absolutely determined to find at least one store open that sold sweaters.  A few failed attempts later, we decided to take a break, returning to Aker Brygge to enjoy cappucinnos by fireside.  By the time we were finished, it was time to say goodbye to Brittany, as her flight was in the early afternoon.  After a quick round of hugs, Katie, Hilary and I continued our sweater search.  Finally, we found a few stores near City Hall that finally had what we were looking for!  Ultimately, we decided to forgo the 2000 NOK ($300...I hate Norwegian currency) Dale sweaters (that you can get at Darien Sport Shop) and opted for more "traditional," not to mention significantly cheaper, options.  They even have a little flag on the sleeve!  Pleased with our purchases, we returned once more to Aker Brygge for our last meal in Scandanavia, Italian!  By the time we were finished it was time to head back to the hotel to pick up our bags and make our way back to Central Station.  Another relaxing train ride brought us back to Oslo airport, where we got to witness a gorgeous sunset as we boarded the plane.  As we flew over the beautiful mountains and fjords, we said goodbye to Norway.  It is an absolutely beautiful country and I would love to return some day to explore much more; I'm so glad I got to see it in my time here!  

Back to London, back to class, back to work.  Despite our busy weeks, I always look forward to returning to our beloved city.  It's finally starting to hit us that we only have less than two months left here...how has time gone by so fast?!  Guess we're just going to have to make the most of every second here...cannot wait!
   xo Carolyn